Intro

As a child growing up in Pittsburgh, Howard Groskloss and his father attended games at Forbes Field. When he sat at the bedside as his father died when he was nine years old, Howard decided to honor his father by becoming a ballplayer. He also was determined to become a doctor to help others in poor health. He accomplished both goals. A six-sport star in high school and college, "Howdy" Groskloss was signed by the Pirates for $10,000, and he used that money to pay off his mother's home. While he made his way up the minor league ladder, Groskloss studied medicine at Yale. He played parts of three seasons as a middle infielder with the Pirates, before retiring to concentrate on his medical studies. He later became head of medicine at the University of Miami and the University of Minnesota.

Quotes From

"He's one of the greatest infielders of all time. He was a very fine individual, very modest. You wouldn't have known he was one of the greatest players." — Groskloss on teammate and friend Pie Traynor

Best Season

With second baseman George Grantham switched to first base, Groskloss and rookie Tony Piet shared second base. "Howdy" played in 53 games, hitting .280 with seven doubles, two triples, and 20 RBI. It was the only extended look he got at the big league level.

Factoid 1

In his final major league at-bat, on September 25, 1932, Howard Groskloss struck out against Carl Hubbell of the Giants.

Factoid 2

When he turned 100 (or 99, depending on the source) in 2006, Groskloss was the oldest living ex-major league ballplayer.

Strengths

Determination

Weaknesses

Hitting major league pitching.